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>> Thursday, 26 July 2012

I started blogging about a year ago - and one of the first things I came across was NomNomNom. Not so much the challenge, but the Raffle and a lot about the Charity - Action against Hunger. I can remember entering the Raffle and being rather pleased at winning a set of saucepans! But I don't classify myself as a serious cook (what cookery there is on my London lifestyle blog London-Unattached focuses on EASY dishes for one or two), so when Charlotte mentioned this year's blogger event I was adamant I wouldn't be taking part.

Then, some of my friends decided otherwise! Ren from Fabulicious Foods asked if I was going to take part and I think asked Karen from Lavender and Lovage in the same message. And somehow I agreed to team up with Karen to form Gaelic Gals. Now - my take on all this was that Karen would do the cooking and I'd be sous chef! She worked really hard to develop some fabulous sounding dishes and I was looking forward to learning how they should be made!

Our menu sounded suitably Scottish and I had a practice go at the recipes for starter and main course provided by Karen. I also came up with the no-cook dessert - 'Not Quite Cranachan' a rather naughty mix of yoghurt, cream raspberries, chambourd and honey granola. But, I was drifting along in the knowledge that Karen would be there on the day and would take control!

Then - disaster - for personal reasons Karen got stuck in France...and I got left on my own. Luckily I arm-twisted a good old friend of mine, Adrian York, who is just starting his own blog called The Hedonist into stepping in and helping - but, having only made the main course and starter recipes once myself I was just a little nervous! And, neither of us had ever taken part in a 'live' cooking event before either.

Given the circumstances I was quite proud that we produced a tolerable attempt at the dishes! We amended Karen's smoked trout, roast potato and beetroot salad to make a slightly lighter starter and added wholemeal drop scones (which are really quite like blinis but use baking powder as the raising agent rather than yeast). Adrian did a stirling job of producing a rather beautiful starter that looked pretty professional to me.

I made a kind of summer rumbledethumps to go with the lamb in whisky and redcurrant sauce that Karen had suggested.

And, I was extremely glad that I had the magimix on hand to puree the raspberries and whip up the cream and yoghurt for the not-quite Cranachan (picture from Monica Shaw)

All in, it was a great fun experience. I'm really pleased that I went ahead and had a go, despite really missing Karen. I hope we did Scotland proud - and I urge you all to go take part in the raffle, which has some fabulous prizes this year!!!

About Nom Nom Nom

Now in its fifth year, Nom Nom Nom is a MasterChef style competition giving the internet's finest bloggers, food photographers and food writers the chance to compete against each other in a professional kitchen. To find out more click here